The Rosenbach Announces A New Exhibition -- American Voyager: Herman Melville at 200
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rosenbach is proud to announce American Voyager: Herman Melville at 200, a new exhibition to commemorate the iconic author's bicentennial. American Voyager opens at The Rosenbach on October 3, 2019.
Few American writers have achieved the cultural impact of Herman Melville, author of the eternal classic Moby-Dick, yet he died unrecognized by his contemporaries for his genius. This new exhibition will explore the life, work, and legacy of this iconic but under-read author. "The Rosenbach's interpretive team wanted to present our extraordinary Herman Melville collections in a fresh way on this important anniversary," says Judy Guston, Curator and Director of Collections.
Making use of The Rosenbach's extensive Melville holdings and numerous loans from partner organizations, including rare manuscripts and first editions, the exhibition will examine how Melville fled to the watery fringes of 19th-century life to grasp core truths about American society—and even human nature itself. The exhibition will challenge visitors to consider what Melville's work has to say about modern America through the lens of marine conservation, globalization, social justice, and LGBTQ+ identity.
"I can think of no better way of bringing to life The Rosenbach's growing Melville collection – already one of the finest in the world – than by placing it at the center of an exhibition and related programs that show the ongoing relevance of the issues Melville raised in his work," says Derick Dreher, the John C. Haas Director of The Rosenbach.
American Voyager: Herman Melville at 200 will be on view at The Rosenbach October 3, 2019 through April 5, 2020. Major support for American Voyager is provided by The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, The McCausland Foundation, Susan Tane, and Clarence Wolf. Full details about American Voyager can be found at rosenbach.org/americanvoyager.
About The Rosenbach
The Rosenbach creates unique experiences for broad audiences through programs inspired by its world-class holdings of literature and history. The Rosenbach is located in Center City Philadelphia and is open to the public six days per week, with growing content available at all times on Rosenbach.org. The Rosenbach is affiliated with the Free Library of Philadelphia.
The Rosenbach
2008-2010 Delancey Place
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Contact: Rosa Doherty,
Manager of Communications
215-732-1600 x123
[email protected]
SOURCE The Rosenbach
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